‘The Judge’ Found Guilty of Filming Flat Fare for NBC

Crooked cops and cantankerous men in robes drive “Steve Martini’s The Judge,” a contrived and farfetched crime drama entering the prime-time courtroom Sunday on NBC.

Slick as it may be, this two-part, four-hour yarn is all too ordinary, despite the reassuring presence of “Law & Order” alum Chris Noth, who plays a stubborn pro bono attorney defending a stone-faced, Shakespeare-quoting Circuit Court judge (Edward James Olmos) accused of murder.

Noth’s principled Paul Madriani gambles, watches hockey and zealously fights for his clients, most of whom are underdogs. It’s his passion that lands him in hot water with Judge Acosta, an imperious public official overseeing a grand jury probe into police corruption. That investigation puts Acosta at odds with Lt. Lano (Peter MacNeill), a bigoted cop eager to take him down while shielding his tainted vice squad.

Madriani’s team includes Catherine Rosetti (Lolita Davidovich), an assertive state’s attorney with a dense brother she describes as a “good cop with a smart mouth.” Good? Maybe. Maybe not. As it turns out, Rosetti is Madriani’s ex-girlfriend.

Lending uneven support are Sonia Braga as Acosta’s steadfast spouse, Heidi Mark as the nubile murder victim and Charles Durning, who’s a hoot as a stern Southerner with a loud bark and an even louder gavel.

Aside from Madriani, the characters tend to be one-dimensional and uninteresting. Noth, who serves as a producer for this underwhelming adaptation of Martini’s book, took part in more compelling stories when he was cracking down on bad guys with Lennie Briscoe and other trusted partners.

Here, the plotting is so implausible, we’re never drawn to the edge of our seats. Though Monday’s conclusion offers slightly more zip and zest, most of the film’s mundane material is too hard to swallow.

Think of it as law and disorder.

* “Steve Martini’s The Judge” can be seen Sunday and Monday at 9 p.m. on NBC. The network has rated it TV-14 (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14).